It’s that time of year again, as Hollywood’s finest find themselves, with alarming regularity, donning outfits that cost more than your house and jewellery worth more than you will earn in a lifetime. But awards season is all building to one supreme event, the Empire Awards Oscars on February 26. Ahead of that milestone, we assess the chances of each nominee in the major categories, and see who’s looking good ahead of the big night…

If the Academy dishes out Oscars as a kind of ‘lifetime achievement’ award (and it kinda does), Christopher Plummer has done more than most to deserve one. Unbelievably, he had to wait until The Last Station for his first nomination. The odds suggest he’ll be one from two with Beginners.

He’s a hot favourite with wins at the SAG awards. In a category that’s been relatively easy to call in recent years (Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Christoph Waltz et al), that’s reason enough not to bet against him.

Seriously, his character is terminally ill andstruggling with his sexuality. If Plummer had turned the part down, Kurt Lazarus would have taken it.

Why He Won't Win

Beginners came out way back in June 2011. Good as Plummer’s performance is, it won’t be as fresh in voters’ minds as his main rivals.

Quirky Sundance fare like this rarely scores with the Academy, and the film’s lack of box office won’t work in his favour either.

That talking dog might be a canine too many for Academy members, what with Hugo and The Artist also heavy on the mutts.